Wandering Hearts: Beginnings
by Snafu the Great
Summary: Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine meet in an unusual way and things take off from there.
1. The New Guy

Wandering Hearts: Beginnings  
A Resident Evil Fanfiction  
By The Headcrook  
  
Chapter One: The New Guy  
  
-Raccoon City, Colorado-  
  
This was NOT supposed to happen.  
  
Chris Redfield was sitting in his truck, an old Ford pickup, listening to the radio at the traffic light. The windshield wipers wre thumping back and forth, due to the face that Raccoon City was having rain on and off for most of the day.  
  
The crash, followed by the bone-rattling impact caught Chris off guard. He luched forward in his seat, but his seat belt kept him from going through the window. After a fre moments, he realises two things: One--he was pushed into the intersection by a few feet. Two--he had been rear-ended.  
  
He looked in the rearview mirror, and saw a small car wedged between his truck and a smaller truck. He groaned to himself as he undid the seat belt and jumped out of the truck.  
  
"This is not my day," he muttered to himself.  
***  
This DEFINITELY was NOT supposed to happen.  
  
Jill Valentine sat in her car, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, listening to her CD. Her vacation was over and she was on her way to the Raccoon Police Department, at Captain's Wesker's request when the accident happened.  
  
She felt her car being slammed from behind. A second later, her car had smashed into the truck in front of her. Eventhough she had her seat belt on, she was jerked aroung pretty good. Shaking her head to get the cobwebs out, she unfastened the seatbelt and stepped out of the car, just as the driver of the truck in front of her had jumped out of his truck.  
  
"Are you all right?" the man asked.  
  
Jill looked at him. He was handsome, with short, spiky brown hair and hazel eyes. He was dressed in a T-shirt, khaki pants, and a worn leather bomber jacket.   
  
Jill nodded. "Uh..yeah, I'm fine." She looked at her car, which was stuck in between the two trucks and sighed. "I wish I could say the same for my car."  
***  
Chris looked at the woman. She was very attractive, with brown hair tied into a ponytail and azure eyes. She was wearing a grey sweater that clung onto her, showing off the curves in her chest, a pair of denim pants, and tennis shoes.  
  
The third driver--a pizza delivery guy--who had crashed into the woman approached them, apologising profusely, and upset about the whole situation. Unfortunately, he had skidded on the wet road and had crashed into the woman's car.  
  
After the police came and had taken their reports, the tow truck driver came and hauled the trashed car off. Chris noticed that the woman had a sad look on her face as she watched it being towed away.  
  
"Where you headed?" Chris asked the woman.  
  
"I was headed towards the RPD, but I don't have a ride," the woman replied.  
  
Chris beamed. "You're in luck. I'm headed there right now. I can take you, if you want."  
  
The woman looked up. "Really? That's good." For some reason, she was feeling giddy around this guy. "By the way, My name is Jill. Jill Valentine."  
  
"Chris Redfield."  
***  
"First time in Raccoon City?" Jill asked as Chris rode through the streets.  
  
Chris shook his head. "No. I used to come here in the summers back when I was a kid."  
  
Jill studies him for a moment. "You're ex-military, aren't you?"  
  
"How can you tell?"  
  
Jill shrugged her shoulders. "You have that look. So what's you business with the police department?"  
  
"A friend of mine work up there," Chris replied. "He managed to put in a good word to his superior about me, and I'm on my way to see him."  
  
"So what? You're gonna work as a cop?"  
  
Chris shook his head. "It's something else. Uh, I forgot what it was, though. Special something."  
  
"Special Tactics and Rescue Service?" Jill guessed.  
  
"Yeah, that one." He then looked at her. "How did you know?"  
  
Jill beamed. "Cause I'm a part of that group. I'm an expert with machines and locks. So what do you do?"  
  
"Marksman. Got a couple of trophies from shooting competitions back when I was in the Air Force to prove it."  
  
Jill smiled. "Looks like Forest is gonna have himself some competition."  
***  
-Raccoon Police Department, about 10 minutes later...-  
  
Jill led Chris into the main lobby of the Raccoon Police Department. "Here we are. Raccoon Police Department."  
  
Chris looked around the massive lobby as Raccoon's finest went about their business. "This doesn't look like a police station. Looks like a museum."  
  
"You're half-right," Jill replied. "Before the RPD bought this place, it used to be the art gallery. Come on. I'll show you to the S.T.A.R.S. Office."  
***  
Jill led Chris down the winding hallways and up the stairs and down another hallway. Along the way, she introduced him to several of the officers and captains of the police force. Finally, she led him down the hall that led to the S.T.A.R.S. Office.  
  
"Here we are," Jill said as she opened the door. Inside, the members of Alpha Team were chatting among themselves. Almost immediately, Chris recognised the tall man with the beard. "Hey, Burton."  
  
Barry Burton immediately turned around. He broke into a smile upon seeing the younger man. "You made it, Chris," he said, shaking his hand. He then addressed Jill. "You're late, Jill. You know how Wesker gets about time."  
  
Chris intervened. "I met her on the way here. She rear-ended me with some other guy rear-ended her."  
  
The bandanna-wearing Joseph Frost stepped forward. "You meet the nicest people, Jill." He shook Chris's hand. "Joseph Frost, mechanic."  
  
"Chris Redfield, marksman."  
  
Joseph pointed to the other man who was asleep on the desk. "That's Brad Vickers, our resident pilot. We all call him Chickenheart, due to the fact that he's better off in a chopper than on the battlefield."  
  
Brad raised his head. "Bite me," he said before placing his head back onto the desk.  
  
The door opened and the S.T.A.R.S. captain walked in, holding a folder in his hands that was marked REDFIELD, CHRISTOPHER MARCUS. He looked up. "Chris Redfield?"  
  
Chris nodded.  
  
The man shakes his hand. "Albert Wesker. S.T.A.R.S. Captain. Barry spoke highly of you."  
  
Chris looked at Barry. "Good things, I hope."  
  
Wesker read out Chris' dossier. "Christopher Marcus Redfield. Graduated from the Air Force Academy with a bachelor's degree in mechanics and commisioned as an officer in the Air Force. Expert marksman and pilot. Joined an elite commando unit as a sharpshooter. Was given an less than honorable discharge for exceeding authority over his rank." He looked at Chris. "Care to explain that?"  
  
Eventhough Wesker had on his pair of shades, Chris met his gaze. "I believe that human life means much more than rank, Captain."  
  
"Meaning?"  
  
"Against orders, I went back and rescued a fallen comrade. Should have gotten a medal. For that, I got kicked out of the Air Force."  
  
Jill was impressed.  
  
Wesker closed the folder. "There's an open slot for Alpha Team. You want it?"  
  
Chris nodded.  
  
"Good. But if you try any of that shit like that here, you won't last long in S.T.A.R.S. Understand?"  
  
"Yes, Captain."  
  
"Good," Wesker said before turning to Jill. "Jill, Chris is your new partner. I want you to show him the ropes and while you're at it, show him around the police station."  
  
Jill nods and escorts Chris out of the office.  
***  
"So what do you think bout our little piece of heaven?" Jill asked as she and Chris walked along the second floor balcony.  
  
"It's nice," Chris replied.  
  
"How do you know Barry?"   
  
"He's an old friend of the family," Chris explained. "I look up to him a lot."  
  
Before Jill could say anything else a group of prople approached her and Chris. Jill recognized them as S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team.  
  
"Morning, Jill," Enrico Marini greeted the woman. He looked at Chris. "Who's your friend?"  
  
"This is Chris Redfield," Jill replied, pointing to Chris. "Chris, this is Enrico Marini, S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team. Chris is taking Richard's place on the Alpha Team."  
  
Chris and Enrico exchanged handshakes. "Welcome to S.T.A.R.S., Chris." He pointed a thumb to the rest of the men. These are my men. That's Kenneth Sullivan, our biochemist, Richard Aiken, our comunications expert, and that's Forset Speyer, our marksman."  
  
Forset took a step forward. "You're the new guy, huh? So what's your specialty?"  
  
Chris's eyes flashed as he rose to the challenge. "Marksman."  
  
Forest humphed. "Funny. I'm also a marksman. So what are your credentials, Redfield?"  
  
"Air Force Security Police, commando unit, got several marksman championships."  
  
"OOooohh," the other S.T.A.R.S. members ad-libed.  
  
"Okay, Chris," Forest said. "Let's see how good you are, Air Force."  
  
"Lead the way."  
***  
Due to the fact that the Raccoon Police Department was lacking a firing range on the police grounds, the police firing range was located three blocks away from the police station.  
  
Both Alpha and Bravo Teams were there, including Captain Wesker and Police Chief Brian Irons, as well as several police officers. Normally, Wesker would seldom be seen at the range, but he was just as curious as how good Chris Redfield is.  
  
Chris and Forest faces each other. "After you," Chris said.  
  
Forest grinned and pulls out his Beretta handgun and proceeds to put an entire clip into the paper target. When the paper target came back, there were several holes in the head, chest and torso.  
  
Chris shook his head. "My turn."  
  
He took off his bomber jacket, revealing a shoulder hoster underneath. Jill noticed that he was in good shape. He wasn't a gym buff like barry, but the muscles were nicely defined. Chris pulled out an Italian M93R handgun and a box of parabellum rounds. He then ejected the clip from the gun and began to load it with the bullets.  
  
"What are you doing?" Forest asked.  
  
Chris continued to load the bullets. "Just so you see that I'm not shooting blanks." He finishes loading the clip and slaps it home, right before unloading all eighteen rounds into the paper target. When the target came back there, was nothing but a SINGLE hole in the paper, right between the eyes.  
  
Jill did a double take. "Wow. Nice aim."   
  
Wesker nods in approval, while Forest shook hands with Chris. "Nice shot," Forest said before adding, "But too cocky for my taste."   
  
"Gee, he should be better off in uniform, rather than with S.T.A.R.S.," one of the officers said as he and the others piled out.  
  
As Chris puts his jacket back on Wesker and Irons approach. "Can I see that weapon?" Wesker asks.  
  
Chris hands him the gun and Wesker inspects it. "Hmm...M93R...not bad--"  
  
"Certainly not police or S.T.A.R.S. issue," Irons cut in. "Irons. Brian Irons, chief of police. So you're Chris Redfield, huh?"  
  
Chris nods. "Yes, sir."  
  
"Welcome to the R.P.D." With that, Irons walked out.  
  
Wesker, in the meantime, hands Chris back his handgun, who places it back in his holster. "I'll see you first thing tommorrow morning, Redfield," Wesker ordered before following Irons.  
  
Chris watches him leave. "He doesn't like anybody, does he?" he asked Jill.  
  
"Not really. By the way, you're a pretty good shot," Jill replies as she and Chirs walked to his truck. "Hey, can you give me a ride home? It'll give me the chance to apologize for the dent I gave you."  
  
Chris simply shook his head.  
***  
As Chris drove Jill home, they talked about their lives and families. Chris had a younger sister who was attending college. His mother died when he was fourteen from an brain edema, while his father was killed in an accident when he was nineteen.  
  
Jill was raised by her father, after her mother had died. When she was thirteen, her father had began to train her in becoming a thief. She was good at it, until her father had gotten arrested and was sent to prison. When she was twenty, she too was arrested, but instead, opted to join the police force rather than serve time. Her skills with locks and machinery had caught the attention of Barry, who had recruited her into S.T.A.R.S.  
  
"So you miss your father?" Chris asked.  
  
"Yeah. I visit him every chance I get," Jill replied. "It's okay, though. Turn left here." A smile crept her face. "It's funny, though, I really didn't have a normal upbringing when I was growing up. Whenever I was with Dad, he would trach me how to pick locks and break into homes."  
  
"You mean he actually took you on some of his..."  
  
Jill nodded. "Yup."  
  
"You should show me how to do that sometime," Chris said.   
  
"Maybe I will," Jill said. "Okay, stop here."  
  
Chris pulls to a halt in front of an apartment building. "Here you go."  
  
Jill stepped out of the truck. "Thanks." She gave him a small smile. "I'm really sorry about this morning."  
  
Chris shook his head. "It's okay. No harm, no foul. So I'll see you tomorrow?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Jill closed the door and Chris drove off. Jill watched until the truck was out of sight and sighed. 


	2. Got Cash

Chapter Two: Got Cash?  
  
Three months pass and Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine are the most decorated officers in the Special Tactics and Rescue Squad. They also become best friends outside the workplace, occasionally hanging out at each other's house or at one of Raccoon's local hangouts.  
  
During that time, Jill was starting to look at her partner/best friend in a different way. She found herself to be attracted to him, not because of his past accomplishments, but the fact that he was down-to-earth, funny, and sometimes, cocky to boot.  
  
Chris was also begining to realize that he was attracted to Jill. She was smart, funny, sweet, and independent. But neither was willing to let the other know about how they felt about each other, that the person that was their friend wanted to be something more than just friends or partners.  
***  
Summer, 1997.  
  
"So where do you want to go for lunch?" Jill asked as she leaned over Chris's desk.   
  
"I don't know," Chris replied. "Where do you want to go?"  
  
"Well, Emmy's Diner has a special today."  
  
Chris finished up his work and stood up. "Sounds good. Let's go."  
  
"Good. You're paying."  
  
Chris stared at her. "Me?"  
  
"Yes, you, cause I paid the last time. And did I mention you eat like a horse?"  
  
Chris rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Seeing as how I'm gonna be footing the bill..." He pulls out his wallet and finds out he doesn't have enough money. "...we're gonna have to make a stop at the bank."  
***  
-Raccoon Central Bank-  
  
Chris and Jill are in the teller's line, Chris muttering under his breath about the ATM outside being busted, forcing him to go inside.  
  
Now he was at the very back of the line with Jill, and was wondering how the day couldn't get possibly worse.  
  
Then it just did.  
  
"EVERYBODY ON THE FLOOR! NOW!"  
  
Two masked armed men came charging into the bank, brandishing firearms and knocking random people over. Chris grabbed Jill and brought her down to the floor with him.  
  
"Okay, do as we tell you, and no one will get hurt!" the head gunman barked out. He trailed his gun onto the teller. "You, start forking over the cash!"  
  
While the gunmen were busy robbing the bank, Chris was forming a plan in his head. "Jill?" he whispered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You got your gun?"  
  
"Yeah. You got yours?"  
  
"Yup. You thinking what I'm thinking?"  
  
Jill nodded. She got up and walked up to the nearest gunman and tapped him on the shoulder. Chris was behind her. "'Scuse me?"  
  
The gumnan turned around. "What?!"  
  
"Um, you really shouldn't rob this bank," Jill replied. She pointed to Chris. "Y'see, my friend and I had been casing this place, and right now, you're stealing our thunder."  
  
"Yeah," Chris agreed. "This is our score."  
  
The gunman trained his gun on Jill. "And what do you expect to do about it with a gun aimed at your chest?"  
  
Jill held up something in her hand. It was the magazine for the gunman's gun. "And what do YOU expect to do anout it without THIS?"  
  
Chris blinked. He didn't even see Jill snatch the magazine out of the machine gun.  
  
Jill smirked at Chris and the gunman's expression. Before the gunman could get the second clip into the machine gun, Jill had smacked him across the temple with the handle of her Custom Beretta handgun, knocking the gunman out before he even hit the floor.  
  
The second gunman already had Jill in his sights.  
  
"Move!" Chris yelled, pushing Jill out of the way with one hand, his own Beretta in his other hand. The gunman fired a shot, then Chris returned fire, this time, shooting his arm, then his knee, effectively disabling him.  
  
It was all over in under two minutes.  
  
While Jill was handcuffing the two would-be robbers, Chris was speaking to the crowd. "We're with the RPD S.T.A.R.S. unit. Is everyone okay?"  
  
There were nods and mumurs of yes. Then the doors busted open and several members of the Raccoon Police Department cane charging in, Browning handguns drawn. Several of them aimed their weapons at Chris and Jill. "Freeze! R.P.D.!"  
  
"Don't shoot!" Chris yelled out. "We're with the S.T.A.R.S. unit!"  
  
Jill pointed to the two incapacitated robbers. "Those are the guys you're looking for!"  
  
The cops looked at the two robbers, then they looked at Chris and Jill. Then they turned their attention to the two men. As she was placing her handgun back inside her holster, Jill saw the red stain on Chris's arm. "My God, Chris, your arm."  
  
Chris looked down at his arm. "Must've caught one from when I was saving your ass. Looks like it just grazed me."  
  
"Whatever," Jill replied. "We got to get that wound dressed."  
  
Chris sighed. "So much for lunch," he replies as he follows Jill out of the bank. "Hey, I gotta ask. How did you do that thing with the gun?"  
***  
Squad cars and media vans were all around the bank when Captain Wesker, Barry, and Chief Irons arrived in a squad car Barry had commandered from the RPD. Upon arriving at the bank, they were ambushed by a throng of reporters and journamists. Irons dealt with them, while they went searching for their two subordinates.  
  
They found them at an ambulance, Chris was getting his injured arm tended to by one of the paramedics, while Jill was nearby.  
  
"Are you two okay?" Barry asked.   
  
"I'm fine," Jill replied.   
  
"I'll live," Chris replied, pointing to his now-bandaged arm.  
  
"At least the both of you are okay," Wesker said. "That's what matters. You know I want a report on what had happened here."   
  
Both Chris and Jill nodded.  
***  
Later on, after the report was filed, Wesker gave Chris and Jill the following day off. On their way to the parking lot, someone was waiting for them.  
  
A tall man with reddish-brown hair approached them. "Excuse me? Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine?"  
  
They both nod.  
  
The reporter introduced himself. "Ben Bertolucci, Raccoon Press. I was wondering if I could ask you two some questions on the bank robery that you two had stopped earlier."  
  
"Maybe tomorrow," Jill replied.  
  
"Yeah," Chris chimed in. "Right now, we're tired and we really need to get home."  
  
Ben nods. "That's okay. I'll see you two around some other time," he said as he walked off in the opposite direction.  
  
Chris grunted. "That went well."  
  
Jill sighed. "I don't want to see another reporter or journalist for the rest of my life."  
  
Chris chuckled. They walked in silence, ofted being congradulated by a passing cop or two. When they reached the parking lot, Chris walked Jill to her car.   
  
"See you later," Chris said as he headed to his truck.   
  
"Bye," Jill replied. "Chris?"  
  
Chris turned around. "Yes, Jill."  
  
She moved over to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.  
  
That caught Chris off guard. "What was that for?"  
  
Jill smiled. "For today." With that, she got into her car, and drove off. Chris smiled to himself and walked to his own vehicle, wondering what the future may hold for the both of them. 


End file.
